Innocence Lost
by GW Katrina
Summary: The boys start traveling. Sequel to Shattered Dreams. This won't make sense if you don't read that. Slash
1. Death

Title: Innocence Lost  
Author: GW Katrina  
Beta: Rebecca. Anything wrong is my own fault.  
Rating: PG-13  
Warning: Slash. Death, but not character  
Archive: Anywhere, just tell me so I can go look.  
Disclaimer: Don't own them. I try to return them in semi good  
condition.  
Summary: The boys set to traveling.  
Notes: Sequel to Fallen and Shattered Dreams, in an unnamed series.  
Any suggestions? I'll give a prize to the one that's best. Please?  
  
Innocence Lost  
  
Dark eyes watched the sky, waiting impatiently. Any sign of movement  
caught their owner's attention, but was quickly dismissed. Finally,   
something held them.  
  
The sun reflected brightly off white streaks, which occasionally  
arched up and down gracefully. As the shape drew nearer, one could  
tell that the white streaks were wings. What lay between them wasn't  
a bird, though. It was shaped wrong, and something dangled from it,   
held by two thin limbs.  
  
Slowly, the thing drew near enough that Zeke could see Casey's dark  
hair ruffling in the wind. Watching the slender boy soar through the  
air did strange things to Zeke's insides, things he liked. A lot.  
  
Casey twisted as he came in to land lightly on the ground, duffle  
bags in hand. Zeke could see there was an unhappy look on his newly  
returned lover's face, but still let out a wolf-whistle.  
  
"Case, I don't know how you do it, but you look even hotter when you  
fly."  
  
That coaxed a smile and a kiss from Casey, but he soon frowned again.  
  
"These," he held out the bags. "Are all that's left of our supplies."  
Blue eyes narrowed. "You won't believe why, either."  
  
Zeke rolled his eyes. "You've been right, so far, Case. I finally  
believed you about the aliens. Try me. I'll believe you."  
  
Giving his own eye roll at Zeke's dramatics, Casey snorted. "Only  
after one tried to take you over. And I doubt you'll believe me. A  
fucking bear trashed most of our stuff."  
  
That got his a satisfyingly stunned look, then Zeke nodded. "You're  
right. I don't believe that. Ohio isn't known for its bears."  
  
"Yah, well it wasn't known for its alien invasions, either. It didn't  
seem too worried about me, though. Maybe it was raised by humans."  
Casey paused, thinking about it. "There was one of those preserve  
places not too far from Herrington. You know, one of the places that  
take in pets people don't want anymore. The big pets." He  
smirked. "Like lions, and tigers, and bears."  
  
"Oh, my." Zeke pretended to gag. "That was really bad, Case." Now the  
older teen eyed the area warily. "If there's a chance of big  
predators around, we should get going." He shivered. "I'm not going  
to like walking to town. Tigers attack from behind." Noticing Casey's  
look of amusement, Zeke growled. "I know, too much Discovery Channel.  
Don't laugh."  
  
Now Casey's look turned thoughtful. "Don't want to walk, hmm?" His  
eyes lit up. "I have and idea."  
  
***  
  
Someday, he was just going to start hiding when Casey said those four  
words.  
  
Someway, somehow, Casey had convinced him to go along with this crazy  
plan. That was how Zeke found himself on the roof, duffle bag in each  
hand, and looking down at the ground, which seemed really far down.  
  
Arms wrapped lightly around his waist, and a warm body was pressed  
against his. The line of heat shifted as Casey rose to his toes. "We  
don't have to do this, if you don't want to," said a soft voice.  
  
On one hand, Zeke really didn't want to do this. What if they fell?  
What if Casey couldn't hold him? On the hand of 'don't', there was a  
hundred 'what ifs.'  
  
On the other hand, Zeke wanted to fly.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. Then he grinned. "Let's  
fly."  
  
The arms tightened around him, and he could see the wings spread out  
partially. "Don't worry. I won't let you fall. Just close your eyes  
and lean forward."  
  
Zeke complied, taking a deep breath as he shut his eyes. Letting it  
go, he went against every instinct he had and let himself fall  
forward.  
  
As his feet left the roof, Zeke felt a moment of panic. He almost  
struggled, but Casey pressed hard against his back, and Zeke relaxed  
some. There was a split second of free fall, then a loud 'snap.'  
Casey's arms cut painfully into his waist for a second, then Zeke  
felt himself lift. Opening his eyes, he gasped.  
  
Below him, the ground raced by. He had never been at this angle  
before, and everything looked different.  
  
"Hold on," said Casey. "I'm going to go up, so we clear those trees."  
  
Looking ahead, Zeke saw tall trees speeding towards them. Then,   
Casey's wings began to beat pump powerful strokes, ones that Zeke  
could feel though Casey's chest. They moved upward, and Zeke could  
see the tops of the trees move with their passing.  
  
"Wow," he whispered. This was the neatest thing he had ever done. The  
feeling of freedom, of being able to go anywhere he wanted, was  
exhilarating. For just a moment, he felt jealous of Casey and his  
beautiful wings. Then he realized something.  
  
He could do this anytime.  
  
Casey was the most loving person he had ever known. Once someone got  
past that attitude of his, Casey would do anything for them. If he  
asked, Zeke was sure that Casey would take him flying again.  
  
With a laugh, Zeke surrendered himself to the sensation.  
  
***  
  
Hearing Zeke's laughter, Casey grinned. He just knew that once they  
were in the air, Zeke would love it.  
  
Casey sought and found an updraft, and the pair shot upwards. Zeke  
yelped, then turned his head so he could see Casey.  
  
"That wasn't funny," he yelled over the wind, scowling at Casey's  
laughter. "Warn me next time."  
  
"Sorry," replied Casey. "Less work this way. More gliding, less  
flapping." He nodded down. "Road's down there. Should take us  
directly to town."  
  
As they glided forward, occasionally lifted by a strong wing beat,   
Casey began to smell something.  
  
It was sickly sweet, and coated the inside of his throat. The scent  
was growing stronger, and it was familiar, but Casey couldn't place  
it.  
  
In his arms, Zeke gagged.  
  
"Do you want me to land?" asked Casey. Then the smell was brought  
full force by the wind, and Casey's head swam. "Never mind," he  
gasped. "We're landing."  
  
They descended a little too fast, and they hit the road hard enough  
to stumble. "Sorry," muttered Casey, his eyes still watering from the  
smell, which was mostly blocked by the trees.  
  
"No problem," Zeke gasped. "That was foul. Smelt like something....  
Fuck."  
  
"Like something died?" Sinking to the ground, Casey leaned forward,   
propping his forearms on his knees. "Damnit, we should have realized  
that there might be...remains."  
  
Zeke nodded. "It's been what, a week since Marybeth died?"  
  
"A little over that. Plenty of time for the virus to.... For it to  
kill everyone." Swallowing hard, Casey rose to his feet. "I can't fly  
with that. It's too strong, and I can't see. Looks like we're hoofing  
it."  
  
"Lovely." With that, Zeke dropped the bags and pulled Casey to his  
feet, then wrapped his arms about the smaller boy. It turned into a  
tight hug, and Zeke buried his face in Casey's hair. Leaning forward,   
Casey laid his head against Zeke's chest.  
  
It felt good. He could hear and feel Zeke's heartbeat, and the scent  
of the older boy washed the last of the death smell from his nose.  
Why couldn't they stay like this forever? It beat the alternative.  
  
They must have stood there for ten minutes, reminding each other that  
they were alive, and then he felt Zeke pull away slowly. He pressed a  
kiss against the top of Casey's head, then stepped back. Picking up  
the duffle bags, he handed one to Casey.  
  
"Now you get to hold a duffle, instead of making me hold both."  
  
"Hey." Casey's expression was mock indignation. "I was carrying one.  
Hell, I was carrying both of them. And you."  
  
Zeke brushed away the comment. "But they were in my hands, so,   
technically, I was holding them."  
  
The banter continued as they turned and started towards the car.  
  
TBC


	2. Discovery

Disclaimer on part one. A/N part one, and end of part two.  
  
Innocence Lost  
  
It was worse than they had expected. Better, too.  
  
Zeke's heart broke when Casey knelt and closed the empty sockets of  
a dead child, who lay alone on the street. He had teared up when he  
found an elderly couple, who still sat on a bench, arms wrapped around  
each other, foreheads touching. Together to the end.  
  
Similar scenes were all over the place. The sheer number of dead was  
overwhelming. The silence was broken only by their footsteps and  
the caws of fat crows. Several times, he or Casey would bolt to the  
bushes that lined the street to be sick.  
  
But as they headed towards the center of town, fewer remains were  
seen, and the smell lessened. Zeke figured that when people began to  
die, other had stayed home, wandering out in time to die.  
  
"I'm not sure I want to go to Indianapolis," Casey said suddenly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because of that." He waved back the way they had come. His wings  
pulled in close, as if to shelter him. "If a town this small is this  
bad, what will a full city be like?"  
  
Oh, that was a pleasant thought. "Thanks for sharing that gem, Case."  
  
"Fuck you, Zeke. You asked."  
  
Ouch. "True. Remind me not to do that again."  
  
The first place they found was a car dealership. A bit of breaking  
and entering, and they had the keys. It took a little bit, but they  
eventually pick out one of the smaller SUVs.  
  
While Zeke was fiddling with their new vehicle, Casey found a phone  
book. A few minutes and a map later, the pair hit the nearest  
Wal-Mart.  
  
Seeing the building, Casey laughed.  
  
Not sure he wanted to know; Zeke gave into the inevitable, and  
asked. "What's so funny?"  
  
Gesturing at the building, Casey grinned. "Wal-Mart: for when the  
world ends.' Why do I have the feeling that everyone who's survived  
this has looted at least one Wal-Mart?"  
  
"Because it's probably true," Zeke told him, also smiling. Their  
humor was dark, a little forced, and a little hysterical, but it was  
there.  
  
This time, they had to break open the doors, and get flashlights,   
but they still grabbed a cart and went shopping.  
  
It was halfway into the dark store, when the sound of cans hitting  
the ground made Zeke spin around, Casey's name on his lips. He  
froze, seeing the image before him.  
  
Casey was crouched down, almost sitting on his heels, wings spread  
back, as his horror-filled eyes focused on his hands. His hands also  
caught Zeke's attention.  
  
They were shaking.  
  
Badly.  
  
Zeke watched as the shaking calmed considerably, but didn't fully  
stop. Slowly, the fingers curled up into fists, knuckles white.  
  
What the fuck was going on?  
  
***  
  
"Fuck,fuck,fuck,fuck."  
  
Chanting quietly under his breath, Casey tried to force his fingers  
to respond. He didn't know why he had suddenly dropped everything,   
or why his hands were so slow to listen to what his mind was  
screaming at them.  
  
Slowly they returned to their now normal state, and Casey clutched  
them so tight that his knuckles went white, and his fingernails cut  
into his palms. He was aware of Zeke staring at him, but was too  
focused on making sure everything was back. His testing of them,   
wiggling fingers, sensory tests, same things he had done just a week  
and a half ago, was interrupted.  
  
"What the fuck...?"  
  
Instinctively, Casey tried to sidestep the issue. "Sorry, didn't  
mean to drop the food."  
  
Zeke knelt next to him, ducking down until he could see into Casey's  
face. "Fuck the food, Case. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine." Instinct level two. Deny the injury.  
  
Zeke frowned. "Your hands are shaking. That's not fine. What's  
wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." To Casey's horror, his vision blurred, and hot tears slid  
down his cheeks. He was not going to fucking cry in front of Zeke.  
He wasn't.  
  
Gentle hands took his. "I don't know what you learned in school, but  
you don't have to hide your hurts from me."  
  
Zeke sounded so earnest, and Casey wanted to believe him. But why  
would Zeke stay with someone who had nerve damage and wings? Hell,   
Casey could have dropped him earlier. He sank into his thoughts of  
how bad he could have hurt Zeke earlier.  
  
"Damn it, Casey! Don't do this to me. You crawl right back out of  
your head and talk to me. I love you, idiot! Don't leave me like  
this."  
  
Loved him? Zeke...loved...him? Love? How? Why?  
  
"L.... Love?"  
  
Dark eyes rolled. "Yes, you dumb ass, love. I don't make it a habit  
of sleeping with people I don't at least like, even if they were the  
last person on Earth, which we aren't."  
  
"Nerve damage."  
  
Zeke frowned, confusion clear on his face. "What?"  
  
Staring blankly at his hands, Casey explained, his mind swamped with  
conflicting emotions. "The aliens messed up peoples nervous systems  
when they died. Severed the connections between brain and body.  
That's why people died. Nothing could communicate. I was partially  
infected. My face...." The four lines were still red. "I think they  
got a few nerves. Now my hands shake."  
  
***  
  
Casey's voice was flat, but Zeke was happy he was talking.  
  
Nerve damage.  
  
Just like Casey has just said.  
  
Fuck. Poor Case.  
  
Leaning forward, Zeke pulled Casey to him, wrapping his arms around  
his lover, making sure not to crush his wings. "Doesn't matter.  
You're mine, and I'm not letting go."  
  
Casey was stiff in his arms for a moment, then relaxed into the hug,   
arms creeping around Zeke. A sob wracked his body, and, for the  
first time in a long time, Casey let someone else see him cry.  
  
Neither boy saw the shadowy figure watching them before slipping  
away.  
  
TBC.  
  
  
A/N: This is for all my campers, who use the tent threats on me. No  
camping in my yard today. Here's your next section.  
  
And I have a question for those of you who are actually reading  
this, the few who are out there. I was thinking about making side  
stories, such as one set in Spiderman, where Peter Parker is one of  
the few in NY who survive. What do you guys think? I'm opening up to  
the idea of others playing in this universe I've inadvertently  
created. Have had a few people already ask. I think one wants to do  
a Sentinel story based on this. How odd. I actually have people  
asking to play in this universe. Of course, if anyone wants to do  
one with the Faculty group, just ask. I'm always looking for new  
stories. *grins*


	3. Disaster

Disclaimer and A/N in part one. I'd like to take this time to  
apologize for how long it has taken me to get this posted. For those  
of you who wrote me, please put down the torches and pitchforks. They  
make me nervous.  
  
Innocence Lost  
  
He wasn't sure how long they sat there. All he really noticed was  
Zeke holding him, rocking them back and forth. Soft words rolled over  
him, and Casey absorbed the comfort. He could get used to this,   
easily.  
  
Finally, he sighed, and pulled back. Zeke let him, but managed to  
keep a hand on Casey's back. That simple touch felt wonderful to the  
smaller boy.  
  
"Sorry," he said, eyes focused on the ground. There was a growl, and  
Zeke's fingers slid under his chin, lifting his head until they were  
looking into each others eyes.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Case. Well, maybe for not telling  
me something was wrong, but our week's been kinda hectic." Zeke  
brushed a kiss across Casey's forehead, then another across his lips.  
  
Capturing Zeke's head in his hands, Casey deepened the kiss. Zeke  
responded, allowing Casey to take the lead.  
  
Casey would be the first to admit that he was not the most  
experienced when it came to sex, or anything that dealt with sex. The  
class wimp was not a prize for anyone. There had been a few stolen  
kisses when he was young, with neighbor girls who were just as  
inexperienced, but nothing could prepare him for kissing Zeke.  
  
He really couldn't explain it. He wasn't sure if it was the way  
Zeke's lips felt against his, or the way he tasted of vanilla and  
smoke, or just the sheer emotion that the other boys seemed to pour  
into the kiss, but Casey loved every one. They were still exploring  
the rest of sex, neither having been with another man before, but  
they kissed, and Casey felt strangely satisfied with that.  
  
Casey devoured his lover's mouth, hungry for the taste and feel that  
was uniquely 'Zeke.'  
  
The moment was broken by the sound of a gunshot. Casey let go of Zeke  
and spun around, wings flaring outwards. He quickly found the source  
of the noise.  
  
A young woman stood before him, gun dropping from the ceiling to  
point at him. Suddenly, Casey realized that the gun wasn't pointed at  
him, it was a little too high and to the side, unless she was going  
to shoot him in the wing. A hand dropped on his shoulder from behind,   
and tried to push him out of the way. Casey realized the truth.  
  
She was aiming at Zeke.  
  
With a low hiss, Casey ignored Zeke's attempts to move him. Instead,   
he watched the woman.  
  
Her eyes narrowed, and the gun in her hand twitched as Zeke touched  
Casey. She was filthy, her clothes tattered and dirty. The way she  
held herself and the expression on her face led Casey to one very  
dangerous conclusion.  
  
They had themselves one genuine crackpot holding a gun on them.  
  
"Get your filthy hands off of him, you pervert," hissed the woman,   
her head jerking to the side, matted brown hair falling into her  
face. Ignoring it, she held the gun out. "He's my angel. He's come to  
take me away from this pestilence and death God has unleashed to  
punish the wicked."  
  
Oh, shit. This, Casey decided, was not good at all.  
  
***  
  
As the gun waved dangerously, Zeke tried to move Casey again. He did  
not want the woman to hit Casey if she stared to shoot, and while  
Casey was smaller, he was standing in front of Zeke, and had large  
wings to hit. Not a good combination.  
  
Once again, Casey didn't move. Barely even shifted, and, in the back  
of his min, Zeke wondered how strong Casey really was. It must have  
taken a hell of a lot of strength to power those wings, enough to  
actually fly. Especially when he was carrying Zeke, who weighted more  
than he did.  
  
At this point, the rest of Zeke's brain yelled for it to shut the  
fuck up.  
  
The woman began to rant about angels raining down fire and death, and  
Zeke hoped this wasn't caused by the virus. He didn't want to become  
a raving lunatic.  
  
"Move, Case," he hissed, hoping their nutball wouldn't hear.  
  
Of course, their luck wasn't that good.  
  
***  
  
As soon as Zeke spoke, the woman froze, and a small smile crossed her  
lips. "I understand," she said, voice calm, eyes resting on the pair.  
  
Casey didn't like the attitude change at all.  
  
"I have to pass a test. So I can go to Heaven. A test of cleansing."  
Her eyes focused on Casey. "Don't worry my beautiful angel. I will  
kill the sinner, and we can fly away together."  
  
Before either one of them could react, she fired. Casey yelped, as it  
felt like someone had pinched his wind, hard. He looked at it. Red  
blossomed from the middle of the wing, running over and between  
feathers, painting them. It was beautiful, thought Casey, still in  
shock.  
  
Then the pain hit, and Casey gasped. It hurt so much that he couldn't  
even scream.  
  
"CASEY!" yelled Zeke, hands flying up to touch the wing. Casey  
flinched, then whimpered as the pain flared even higher.  
  
Deep inside him, the heritage of all descended from dragons began to  
flicker to life.  
  
"NO!" The woman's scream echoed Zeke's. "You made me hurt my angel. I  
hate you!" She fired again.  
  
This time, she missed both of the men, but Casey heard glass shatter.  
  
"FUCK!" Zeke yelped, pain clear in his voice.  
  
Everything froze for Casey. He couldn't move, not even when something  
sharp slashed across his cheek.  
  
She had hurt Zeke.  
  
His lover.  
  
His... mate.  
  
Anger boiled up inside of Casey. A rage so powerful that his vision  
turned red. A growl escaped him, and something inside him snapped.  
  
Casey attacked.  
  
***  
  
Zeke took a step back, ignoring the stinging pain in his back as he  
pressed himself against the shelving. Eyes wide, he watched as Casey  
literally growled. A deep, chest rumbling, mad dog growl.  
  
The feathers on Casey's wings ruffled, and Zeke's jaw dropped as he  
saw green sparks begin to flicker over them. Wind rose out of  
nowhere, spiraling around Casey, pressing Zeke harder against the  
shelving.  
  
The green sparks vanished, and Casey screamed. Light, the same pale  
green as the sparks, formed just in front off the winged boy's face.  
It crackled, then shot forward to hit the ground under the woman's  
feet, exploding it outwards with a deafening 'boom.'  
  
Flying backwards, the woman hit the wall, head snapping back. The  
sound of her connecting with the wall reminded Zeke of the time he  
had used some pumpkins from target practice.  
  
She slid down, limply hitting the floor, and laid still.  
  
Casey echoed her fall a second later. Zeke barely caught him.  
  
Arms around Casey, Zeke stared in horror at the woman, who had blood  
tickling down her face. Then there was a faint glow, and he was  
caught in a whirlwind of feathers. Casey settled closer to him, his  
wings gone.  
  
Frantic, Zeke checked Casey's pulse, and sighed in relief when he  
found it. A feeling of deja vu hit, and Zeke was reminded of the  
night this whole thing had started.  
  
Shaking it off, Zeke scooped Casey up. The other boy was paler than  
normal, blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. Zeke didn't know what  
the hell Casey had just done, but it must have taken a lot out of him.  
  
Looking at the woman, he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. To  
be on the safe side, however, he was going to restock in another town.  
  
Carrying Casey to the car, Zeke laid him inside, making sure to  
buckle him in. The he got in behind the wheel, and started the engine.  
  
"Let's get the hell out of Dodge," he mumbled as he drove them out of  
town.  
  
The End  
  
Next part: We get to see some more people, and the fandoms begin to  
trickle in. *grins* Hope you guys are still reading.


End file.
